A 19-year-old woman has been identified as the driver in a car crash that injured former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and two others.
New Hampshire State Police said on Sunday that Lauren Kemp, of Concord, was driving the Honda HR-V that hit the back of the Ford Bronco Giuliani, 81, was riding in on Saturday evening. No charges have been filed.
Giuliani’s head of security, Michael Ragusa, told Newsweek on Monday that Giuliani’s condition “continues to improve, and he is expected to be discharged from the hospital within the next few days.”
Giuliani is still one of the country’s most well-known political figures. He became known as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Once widely respected, he has since become a more divisive figure due to controversies and legal battles. He also served as President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and was active in challenging the 2020 presidential election results.
State police said the crash happened shortly before 10 p.m. on Interstate 93, where troopers had been investigating a domestic violence report. Both vehicles hit the median and were “heavily damaged.” Troopers and firefighters gave assistance at the scene.
According to Ragusa, Giuliani had earlier been flagged down by a woman who was a domestic violence victim. He contacted police on her behalf and stayed with her until officers arrived. After leaving the scene, his vehicle was struck from behind “at high speed.”
Giuliani was taken to a trauma center, where he was treated for a fractured thoracic vertebra, cuts, bruises, and injuries to his left arm and leg, Ragusa said. He added that the domestic violence situation and the crash were “entirely unrelated.”
Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, who was driving the Bronco, and Kemp were also injured. State police said their injuries were not life-threatening, and both were taken to hospitals.
After the accident, Giuliani thanked his business partner Maria Ryan on X: “Thank you to @MariaRyanNH who is a board certified nurse practitioner overseeing the care of America’s Mayor. (Nurse practitioners do everything a doctor does except surgery).”
Ragusa also told Newsweek: “Mayor Giuliani’s condition continues to improve, and he is expected to be discharged from the hospital within the next few days. This is a man who survived 9/11—so a little car accident won’t be slowing him down. He is eager to return to business and continue fighting for this country, as he has proudly done for the past 50 years.”
On X, Giuliani emphasized that the incident “was not a targeted attack” and asked people to respect his privacy and not spread conspiracy theories.
Giuliani’s son Andrew Giuliani also posted on X: “Thank you to all the people that have reached out since learning the news about my Father. Your prayers mean the world. As a son, I can tell you I’m honored to have a Dad that I can call the toughest SOB I’ve ever seen!”
State police said no charges have been filed but that “all aspects of the crash” are still under investigation.
